Seattle Entertainment, Activities, Events : Seattle on the Fringe by Stacey Merrick : Music, Dancing, Clubs, Bars, Movies, Burlesque, Dining, Bicycle, Hobbies, Extreme Sports, Comedy, Offbeat, Unusual

Big Wheel Bingo is the coolest thing ever.  I went there on a whim a few years ago when it was at The Rendezvous on a second date with a guy I was still getting to know.  I figured if we went to bingo, the experience would at least be amusing, for me at least.  And, generally speaking, if a guy goes to bingo with me then he MUST be into me.  We went, and we were both thoroughly surprised and entertained by the whole experience.  It turned out to be a great event to attend on an awkward still-getting-to-know-each-other date.  I had no idea Big Wheel Bingo would be a full show, with singing and dancing and comedy.  And the bingo game prizes are quirky and fun; most of the prizes were from Archie McPhees, thrift stores, or garage sales. 

Mere words cannot describe the wonderment of Big Wheel Bingo.  It is bingo, so if you have your own bingo dobber, bring it.  Otherwise, they sell them for a buck or two at the show. 

The next show is at the end of next month, on June 28, so you have plenty of time to clear your calendar.  Everyone should go to Big Wheel Bingo at least once.  Yes, it's that entertaining.

Location:  Can Can Kitchen and Cabaret 94 Pike Street in Pike Place Market
Date and Time:  June 28, 9:30pm
Price:  $10

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So, the title of this post pretty much explains what this event is all about.  People race each other rolling down a hill in office chairs.  Watch the video from last year:

This year I imagine people are going to be a little more creative with office chairs in the race.  Last year everyone discovered that office chairs don't cruise down the hill as fast as expected.  I would expect to see some bigger wheels on office chairs this year and perhaps some more custom-made creations.

The race is tomorrow, Friday, April 4, "after work whenever people start showing up."  There might be a more specific time nailed down at this point but I am guessing people will start showing up around 5:30pm.  The location is near the Pacific Science Center and Key Arena.  I believe the starting point is on the corner of Warren and John.  Here's a map, you'll find the race in the general vicinity of the starred location.

Things to prepare for if you plan on racing this year:

• Wear protective gear, you'll probably crash because everyone crashes.
• Bring your own office chair.  If you have more to spare, bring those, too.
• Bring a camera, there will be many lovely photo opportunities.

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I'm not big on Valentine's Day shenanigans. I feel like it's a holiday designed to make people miserable.  If you don't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, then you feel like a loser.  If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, then you feel like the pressure is on to prove your love.  Either way, ugh.

That's why I'm so excited The Stranger's Valentine's Day Bash is happening again this year at Neumo's.  I went last year and it was the 10 year anniversary of the event and they SAID it was going to be the last year last year.  But, no!  It's happening again this year.

At the Bash, you have the opportunity to bring a memento from a failed relationship, give a little background on the shortcomings of said relationship on a stage in front of a venue packed full of strangers and possibly people you know (IE. coworkers), and then allow Dan Savage to destroy your memento in any number of creative ways.  Last year, I brought a dozen dried roses and Dan Savage dipped them in liquid nitrogen and smashed them to bits.  I gotta say, it was my best Valentine's Day ever.

My advice if you go is bring a keepsake and sign-up to have Dan Savage destroy it.  Seriously, once you get there, you will want to be a part of the fun, despite the certainty of embarrassment.  There is something special, something cathartic about having the famed sex columnist smash/set on fire/tar and feather a relic some jerk left in your possession after he/she broke your heart. 

Make sure you get there early and sign-up on the list right away, otherwise you could spend all night holding that teddy bear/sweater/poem/engagement ring waiting for it to finally be destroyed.

Date:  February 14, 2008
Time:  8pm
Location:  Neumo's (map)
Price:  Free (who can put a price on love publicly humiliating your jerky ex?)

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If you have lived in any major city in the US for the past few years, during the holidays you have probably seen a strange parade of people dressed as freaky looking Santas wandering the streets.  This bizarre parade happens once a year, and if you want to join in the fun in Seattle this year, you can because it's happening on December 15.

Santarchy, or Santacon, is Santas gone nuts.  People dress up in their own customized version of a Santa costume and wander the streets together in a flowing mass of white beards and red suits, eventually wandering into bars for drinking.  I originally thought this just happened in Seattle.  Seattle is a city with a large population of crazy, I mean creative, people and it seemed like a logical assumption.  I was wrong, Santacon first began in San Francisco in 1994:

[The concept] was simply to play with the archetypal image of Santa using a barrage of many Santa’s (hopefully) inducing a psychedelic reaction from the public while the core of Santa’s had a real adventure and a lot of fun while goofing it up at various downtown X-mas locations.

This seems to remain the overall theme of Santacon, which now takes places in cities all over the world and according to participants, it's a lot of fun.

I personally have not participated in this event because I am not into Santa costumes.  The Santa costume thing creeps me out, like clowns creep me out.  Now, I have participated in the Pillow Fight Club, and, I'm not saying anything for sure, but those Santas better be prepared for an ambush this year.

• Seattle Santacon 2007 details here.

• Pictures of past Seattle Santarchy  here.

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I saw a post on The Stranger's forum by someone who is new in town and is looking for something to do for Halloween and does anyone from Seattle know of any parties?  The first response made me laugh:

We'll just all go out and meet up with the same 10-16 friends we've known since Jr High and pretend that you're invisible.  Welcome to Seattle!

Yes, that happens around here.  But, I'm not from Seattle and I made friends despite not knowing one single person in the city, and I'm not any sort of super-awesome super-charmer.  So, don't let the cliquey people scare you away.  You don't want to be friends with them, anyway.

Back on track:  what is happening tonight for Halloween?  I'm going to see Henry Rollins, and then later, I might check out The Mercury.  The Mercury is a member's only goth/industrial dance club, which means you have to be a member to get into most of their events, or be a guest of a member.  What was I just saying about cliques in Seattle?  Actually, the folks at The Mercury are really nice and if you're cool and are genuinely interested in events at the club (not just someone who wants to gawk at/harass the hot female patrons in corsets), then you won't have any trouble eventually becoming a member or getting in as a guest.

If I don't go to The Mercury tonight, I will go to The Funhouse.  Local bands Millhous and Old Man Smithers are playing with a couple other bands.  This show is a guaranteed good time if you like getting rowdy and having beer spilled on you while listening to live punk music.  When I say it like that, it doesn't sound like fun, does it?  Trust me, it's great.

If these suggestions are not your cup of tea,  The Stranger created a list of what is happening for Halloween.  My favorite picks of the list:

• Citizen Fish @ Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma - Members include Dick and Phil from the Subhumans.  Yep, old punk rocker band, and it's all the way in Tacoma, but... I love this band!

• The Monsters of Electropop Tour @ Nectar in Fremont  - Freezepop, Solvent, Novatron, and DJ Electrosect.  Go dressed as a new waver!

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I have zombie mania.  Zombie is the new hip trend and I have caught zombie fever.  Zombie is the new pirate.  Zombie is the new black.

If you like zombies as much as I do (I even like Rob Zombie), then listen up;  a new zombie movie is being filmed in Kitsap County called Zombies of Mass Destruction.  Cool, eh?  Well, they are looking for zombie extras to be in the movie!  The movie is being filmed now through November 17 in Port Gamble, WA, and they need a bunch of zombies.

If you are interested in being a zombie in a feature film, please contact:

• Email: foregroundbackground@gmail.com
• Phone: 425.246.2725

Shooting Schedule and Other Zombie Details

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Do y'all remember last December when Seattle nearly got blown away by those crazy wind storms?  And then the power went out for days in parts of the city and people had to find their friends with power so they could take showers and eat hot food?  Remember?  Well, brace yourself for another windy adventure in Seattle tomorrow, Thursday, October 18.

So, what should you do if your power goes out?  Seattle City Light has a hotline you can call to find out the status of your power outage.  If you do not have heat in your house, head downtown or to an area you know has power and warm up and get a hot meal at a restaurant.  Or, you can stay at home and sit on your front porch with a shotgun and tell looters to stay off your land.  No, don't do that.

So, prepare yourself for a windstorm and a possible power outage and have the following items accessible:

• candles
• flashlights
• batteries
• battery powered radio
• firewood (if you have a fireplace)
• lots of blankets and warm clothes
• food
• water

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